COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--To better accommodate the quickly growing city of Colorado Springs, CO, Memorial Health System has built its newest hospital campus: Memorial Hospital North. In providing the hospital the most advanced audio technology available, Beacon Communications LLC of Denver also developed a paging system that helps hospital operators better serve patients while maintaining a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere in every area. To create this paging system, Beacon Communications installed a Biamp AudiaFLEX CM (CobraNet Module) for signal EQ, distribution and network capabilities.
"In Memorial Hospital North we've installed Rauland-Borg's Nurse Call system - one of the most flexible systems available," said Michael Hester, managing partner, Beacon Communications. "It allows the hospital operators to quickly and easily ring a station or call a particular nurse. But we also wanted to supplement this system with a powerful audio processor to ensure that each page is heard clearly and at even volume levels that wouldn't disturb patients or disrupt important procedures. We worked very closely with the consultants on this project, Technology Plus, and have developed a system that we feel sets a new standard for paging."
The system is comprised primarily of Biamp components, including a single AudiaFLEX CM with four TI-2 telephone interface cards, two IP-2 mic/line input cards and six OP-2e mic/line output cards. This single chassis drives six Biamp CPA650 amplifiers and 12 DT-4 transformers for 25-volt operation - the standard for Memorial Hospital's audio system. This distribution system sends signals to the Lowell LT805-72BB cone-type, 4W speakers in most areas."
Hester continued by saying, "Typically, paging systems of this nature are an afterthought and not given the care they deserve. If that is the case, you very often have hot spots directly under every speaker, and dead spots where the speaker range drops off. Pages come in very loud and shrill and can really detract from an environment, especially in a hospital where you have patients who need to rest. The compressor limiter feature in the Biamp AudiaFLEX makes it ideal for a paging system because it means that every page is extremely clear and distributed at the same volume level. It doesn't sound harsh or screechy. Rather it sounds very natural and un-clipped."
